She scrambled off the bed, grabbing a blanket that had fallen off the bed in their frantic lovemaking. "I have some things to get ready for school on Monday."
He raised an eyebrow. "You trying to kick me out?"
She started to shake her head, then realized that after the things they'd just done to each other, there really was no point in lying to him. "Yes."
He shifted off the bed and the quick swelling of disappointment in her stomach at the thought of him actually leaving surprised her.
"I'll help you with your suitcase."
Maybe it was all the brain cells she'd lost when her brain exploded from three intense orgasms, but she wasn't following. "I can unpack my bag just fine on my own, thanks."
"It's going to hurt my feelings soon, you know."
"What is?"
"The way you keep forgetting that we're married, sweet Anna."
She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and took a step backward. "I haven't forgotten."
"Then why don't you seem to understand that you're moving in with me?"
"No."
Entirely without her permission, he opened up her closet, found a larger suitcase, and threw it on the bed. "People expect a new wife to live with her husband." He yanked open her dresser, grabbed a handful of her underwear, and tossed it into the bag.
"Stop doing that." She gathered up her underwear, accidentally loosening her hold on the blanket. "Has it even occurred to you to ask me first before you make a decision about something?"
"My grandmother would know something was up in an instant if the papers reported me leaving here without you."
"I'm sick and tired of you using your grandmother as your excuse for every stupid thing you do!"
She all but clamped her hand over her mouth, the blanket dropping all the way to the floor. Not only did she already know that Eugenia was the entire reason for their relationship, not only did she know that Cole would have never, ever picked her out of a crowd if he hadn't been looking for a good girl--but she also knew how deeply he was hurting over his grandmother's illness.
"I'm sorry." She wanted so badly to take back her careless words. "I know how much you love her."
She was surprised to find him standing in front of her, one finger tipping her chin up so that she was meeting his dark and serious eyes. She was naked, now, but he didn't look away.
"My grandmother has nothing to do with the fireworks between us, Anna. While we're married, you're going to be in my bed every single night."
Still trying to find a loophole, she pointed to the window where the last rays of light were still peeking through her blinds. "It's not night yet."
She waited for his stubborn response, waited for him to tell her it was nonnegotiable.
"I want you with me, Anna. More than I've wanted anything in a very long time." He looked as serious as she'd ever seen him, totally earnest. Honest in his desires, both prurient and otherwise. "Please come home with me, sweetheart. Stay with me. Let me take you back to my bed and give you all the loving you deserve."
Oh no.
Anna knew exactly how he meant "loving." He was talking about sex, about what they'd been doing in her bedroom and in his apartment in Las Vegas.
But her heart--her stupid, pathetic, rapidly pounding heart--was doing everything it could to ignore the truth.
And it was her heart, not her brain, that made her drop her underwear back in the suitcase and say, "I need the matching bras, too."
His answering smile was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Oh no.
Chapter Ten
Anna looked at his house and said, "You really should have had me sign a pre-nup."
Not only was Cole known as one of the meanest men in the NFL, he was also one of the surest footed. Nonetheless, Anna's crazy statement had him tripping over his feet.
"Say that again."
Clearly unaware of his dangerous reaction to what she'd said, she gestured to his huge stainless steel and granite kitchen, out the sliding glass doors to his infinity pool and sloping green lawn. "All this must be worth a fortune. When your lawyer or manager or whoever it is that works for you finds out about our marriage, they're going to lose it in a serious way."
"Well then, maybe I won't ever let you go."
Her eyes widened in surprise, making him realize what he'd just said.
He didn't want to let her go. Not now. Not ever.
Jesus, what the hell was he saying? What the fuck was he thinking?
Her taste, her sweet little whimpers as she came, the wonder in her innocent eyes as she took him into her mouth--clearly, they were all fucking with his head.
"We both know I'm going, Cole. After you don't need me anymore."